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respectful consideration on the part of designers and clients to understand the underlying reasons for what may seem like petty requirements.
Process
Like program analysis, we suggest a diagrammatic approach that emphasizes clear documentation, graphic analysis, and the development of a holistic under-standing, rather than an attempt at high-speed form finding. Like program analysis, the successful resolution of site conditions and requirements is more likely to come from a design idea inspired by our integration of this data than directly from the data itself. A typical site analysis package will be docu-mentary in nature, often showing many pages of graphic or tabular informa-tion, followed by some very preliminary design diagrams that show strategies likely to best resolve the site’s particular issues.
The first steps of site analysis invariably involve gathering data.Often architectural teams will get a detailed aerial photograph or survey map as a base for recording and presenting our findings, as well as for studying the physical context of our site. Direct observation is imperative – architects will almost always need exten-sive access to the site, often recording activity on and around it for an entire day or more.Topographic surveys that show the shape of the land in plan form are likewise required for sites with significant changes in elevation, and extensive photography is necessary to record the scale of the surroundings, as well as the massing, materials, and styles of surrounding buildings.There are also significant intangible elements to any site analysis that can only be gained by careful obser-vation, by walking not only the site but also its surroundings, and by immersion in the daily activities of its neighbors. What is the pace of life around the site like? Do we sense nearby activities through sound or smell? Are there amenities (restaurants, coffee shops, post offices, cinemas) that might benefit our program, or be reinforced by the sudden infusion of our client’s staff? Are there local build-ing traditions that we can respond to, challenge, or simply acknowledge?
Likewise, we need to document the regulatory and legal aspects of the site.
Using public records and documents, the site’s legal dimensions need to be confirmed, and a full exploration of its allowable uses, building size and type, and required amenities or concessions must be fully documented. Typically, this will come in the form of a zoning designation, which is determined by municipal authorities.A full understanding of this information is vital prior to commencing design work, as obtaining variances may be politically difficult.
Finally, our responsibility to design efficient buildings requires us to study and document the climatological properties of our site. Of particular interest will be the site’s relationship to the sun.Ideally, buildings will take advantage of winter sun and summer shade, requiring studies of the sun’s position throughout the year.
How surrounding buildings, planting, or topography modifies the sun’s effects on the site are of particular interest, as are the effects our intervention will have on neighboring properties.To do an accurate solar study, the approximate latitude of the site is needed. From this, solar angles for any day of the year can be calculated using published solar charts that show the position of solar paths on a flattened
‘sky chart’ (see Section I.4, Environment: Solar Geometry). While this data is 1 Pre-Design
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particularly useful in designing facades and shading devices, a more holistic overview of the sun’s effects on a site can be gleaned by running a solar path study using 3-D CAD modeling. Running typical days for each of the four seasons will give a good idea of the site’s exposure during key times of the year, suggest-ing masssuggest-ing and plantsuggest-ing strategies that can take advantage of climate-appropriate techniques to add shade or exposure. This study can also identify likely open areas that will provide direct sunlight, and may indicate areas of the site where glare might be a problem. In addition to solar studies, documentation of daily tem-perature, precipitation, and cloud cover averages is required to assess insulation,
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Hyland Avenue
Pammel Drive
Bissell Road
Osborn Drive
Sheldon Avenue
Armory
Location
Coover
Town
Howe
Hoover Sweeney
Figure 1.2.1. A basic map of a project’s site, using an aerial photo as an underlay. Key buildings, streets, and paths provide a context for understanding where the project is and what its neighbors are.
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façade porosity and the importance of outdoor exposure. Finally, it is important to study wind patterns on the site, to see if we might be able to take advantage of summer breezes, or to easily block winter winds. Climate data can be found on the web site of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (www.noaa.gov), or the ‘Met Office’ (www.met-office.gov.uk).
Documentation
No client will tolerate being confronted with a massive list of traffic, zoning, climate, and historical data. Architects have the responsibility of not only 1 Pre-Design
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Site boundaries
608’-0”
524’-6”
Figure 1.2.2. Further information on location will include legal boundaries and site dimensions. It may also include setbacks, easements, and other legal restrictions.
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documenting these issues, but also of teasing out patterns and overlaps amongst these areas. Just like Programming, the ‘analysis’ in site analysis demands that we also make some tentative suggestions about what these findings all suggest.
One way to begin this process is to document our findings in a consistent, graphic method.Architects will often use a set of aerial photographs as under-lays for diagrams – or ‘vignettes’ that summarize the data that we’ve found in visual ways (Fig. 1.2.1). A traffic diagram, for instance, might layer a set of arrows over an aerial photograph indicating where automobile traffic flows,
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816 812
808 804 800
796
Figure 1.2.3. Understanding the geography of the site includes a full topographical survey (typically provided) by the client that can be interpreted to show steep slopes, runoff areas, and physical orientation.
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using arrowheads to show direction, line weight to show relative intensities, and color to show types of traffic (truck, vehicular, bike, etc.).The same aerial might underlay diagrams showing pedestrian connections, zoning information, locations of amenities in the neighborhood, etc. (Figs. 1.2.2–1.2.8). A larger scale aerial photograph might show regional traffic connections, population concentrations, or larger amenities such as airports, train stations, or shop-ping centers. Meanwhile, a larger scale aerial might be used to show more detailed information such as planting locations, data on neighboring struc-tures, or likely entries and exits into the site.
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Figure 1.2.4. Site analysis may include information from landscape architects or arborists on plant types and locations.
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In constructing these diagrams, it is important to be both accurate and clear.
A good site analysis package will strive to convey the overall themes inherent in the site (Is it automobile-intensive or pedestrian-intensive? Is there a con-sistent set of materials or styles in its neighbors? Are there portions of the site that offer greater civic presence? Are there opportunities to take advan-tage of the climatic patterns we’ve discovered?). It will do this by highlighting the most important information and by presenting an easily graspable graphic package. Consistency in the form of a regularly used set of underlays, a repe-tition of colors for like types of data, and visual cues that link information with graphic gestures can be helpful in establishing comparative methods – it can
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